MAHMOOD BOOST

England pace ace fired up to take his big chance in the Caribbean

SAQIB MAHMOOD is ready to take his chance in the Caribbean – and banish the ghosts of his recent England T20 tour in the West Indies.

The Lancashire quick has been whistled up the Test squad as England look to adjust to life without Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad.

Mahmood has come through the ranks at Anderson’s home county and now finds himself being asked to fill his considerable boots as England look to bounce back from their Ashes humiliation.

It is a big task. But it also gives him the perfect chance to state his Test credentials having so far only played white-ball cricket for his country.

And after going wicketless and watching two of his overs disappear for plenty as England lost their recent T20 series in the Caribbean, he is desperate to remind people just what he is capable of.

“It was a great series in terms of two teams going at it,” he said.

“From a personal point of view, it didn’t really go as I would have liked it to.

“Barring two overs in the series I think I bowled quite well – those were the only two overs that went for double figures.

“But at the end of the day, I’ll be judged on what happened in those 12 balls.

“That’s the way the game goes, I guess. T20 is one of the hardest formats to be consistent in, especially as a bowler. But over the last 12 months my record has been very good in short-format cricket.”

Mahmood has enjoyed a busy winter, starring in the Big Bash for the Sydney

Thunder before enjoying a brief stint Super League with Peshawar

in the Pakistan

Zalmi.

Now, after a winter of white-ball cricket, he is preparing for what could be a Test debut in a series that England will be under pressure to win following their dismal showing in Australia.

Mahmood illustrates the issues that modern cricketers face, with the bowler being asked to play in a five-day Test after bowling a maximum of four overs in a match for the past six months.

It is a huge challenge. But with England debating whether they should split the head coach jobs between redball and white-ball cricket for whoever next takes the role, Mahmood admits it is a move he would be in favour of.

“I think it would be quite nice to have two different coaches, especially for guys who are playing both formats,” he said.

“Say, for example, you’ve had a tough series in the red-ball format and there’s a white-ball series straight after, you don’t want your red-ball form to impact your white-ball selection.

“If you have a new coach, everything is fresh and it feels like you’re coming into a new environment.

“The environments between the white ball and the red ball with England feel quite different.

“That’s obviously the nature of both formats but I think the amount of cricket we play now, having two coaches would make a lot of sense.”